Our trip to Paris,amalfi and Rome,sept 11 to oct 3.

So far, so good, José! Don't worry about mistakes, no one who matters cares!

Before installing the Paris report,I will finish the section of "logistics",with comments on our hotel in Rome:
--Hotel in Rome: Ara Pacis Hotel, via Vittoria Colonna.
Mmmmmm mixed feelings!!!!
--Good: LOCATION; we walked everywhere, very safe zone, close to anything;200 meters from the shuttle bus stop to the airport(we were 6 persons on the bus; ticket 7.50 euros each!!!).Breakfast is good, bread, pastries, meats, honey, variety of coffee from a machine, juices from another machine.
--Bad: the hotel looks really “old” or “tired”, but rooms are clean if definitely small and bathrooms are also old,.
Not a disaster, but at 160 euros we expected much more.Will we return? No, better look for other hotels with more time, we are sure there are better value for the money out there.

--First Week: PARIS.
This is our fifth visit to Paris; and we intend to walk everywhere, stopping at will, enjoying the city.
-Day One,saturday(September 11th):We arrived at Orly West after a 14 hours flight(with a transfer at T4 in Madrid); not so tired and really happy of returning to Paris after 14 years.
We took Orlyval, RER B and a taxi to our hotel in Rue Monge, and in a matter of minutes after check in we were out to explore rue Monge, and we walk to Blvd. S. Michel, Notre Dame(organ music, a pleasure, really moving).I can think about the persons at the cathedral centuries ago, illuminated by candles and hearing this music…they should have felt the presence of something superior…
A very good experience; then we proceed to Ile de S.Louis, plenty of tourists!!, then,to the Pont Neuf to see the place where we will, any day, take our boat to cruise the Seine.
Back to the hotel and a stop a Carrefour, and what a surprise!! Prices are quite normal…and quality is generally very high.
We have a window towards Arenes De Lutece,and tonight there is some kind of show, but we didn’t hear anything and slept very well!!
-Day two,sunday:have breakfast at the hotel,and start to walk rue Monge,searching for the market in rue Mouffetard,but previously we go the Mosque,take a look at gardens(somewhat like the ones at the Alhambra),then to rue Mouffetard,really nice with a sunday market where we tasted cheeses,bread and let the time goes by..,all fruits and products really fresh and at reasonable prices.
Being near to two important churches, we go to Saint Medard and Sainte Genevieve(sp?),attend the mass and hear the organ, and a woman singing really well…the presence of many youngs call our attention, as we are not used to see much teenagers at our churches…
Our steps took us to the Panteon(closed),anyway we enjoyed the views and sunbath a little at the stairs(a beautiful day…sunny).
We proceed to Jardins de Louxembourg, one of our preferred places in Paris,and as usual we seated near the flowers, look at the sparrows and well fed pigeons,take some pictures,and talk when we met 35 years ago and when we married,almost 33 yars now…we didn’t then think that we will ever visit Paris…5 times…
Being lunch time we went to the Latin quarter,where there are dozens of cheap restaurant and select Le Marathon; we ask for the “menus”.DW asks for moules mariniere, grilled chicken and ice cream,I go with soupe a l’oignon, steak au poivre and apple tart, rosé wine and water,of course bread is delicious, 32 euros, not bad at all….
We walk towards Musee du Louvre and rue de Rivoli( shopping starts), Visit la Madeline and L’Opera, then come back through le Palais Royal and take a look(just a look) at Le Grand Colbert and Le Grand Vefour…mmmmm who knows?, if there is a sith visit may be we dare…
Near 8 pm we are caming back to the hotel and day 2 is gone…

Enjoying your report - always love to read about Paris! Thanks for sharing.

ttt

Wonderful! DH and I have been married 31 years and are 1 ahead of you in trips to Paris but I'm loving reading about your trip! Agree how nice it is to take time to savor things after those first "I must see everything NOW" trips.

More Please!

-Day three, Monday: We buy a Metro carnet(10 tickets) ,and easily arrived a rue Lepic;then, started our walk at Montmartre, enjoyingPlace du Tertre the Basilica; and the views, of course.
The views from Montmartre are always glorious, and we seated at the stairs,looking at all the tourists(many from China and Japan of course).
We came back to Place du Tertre to buy some souvenirs,and a memory card for my camera(I forgot one at home); 2 gigas at 20 euros…arghhhhhh.Then,we start our descent, and suddenly DW sees ….bargains….shopping mode for one hour(real bargains for her),and we go to Moulin Rouge and take Rue Lepic one more time, arriving at Café des Moulins(remember Ameli Poulin?)..Our lunch is baguettes and tarte aux poires, on the go; and we return to the hotel
After a little nap, on the road again; for a visit to Sephora and Mac(dear niece,(DN),Fatima,a fashion design student, hear that we were going to Paris,Paris being his second preferred city,the first is New York, and give us a long list of the cosmetics she “absolutely” needs, otherwise, her life will be ruined.
Can you sense the aroma of burnt euros?????..
We take a light dinner and the day is over.
-Day four,Tuesday :took the Metro to Invalides and started a long walk though Invalides, Eiffel Tower,Trocadero, Av. Kleber, Arc de Triomphe,Champs Elysees,Concorde, Tuilleries, Forum des Halles, Centre Pompidou, boul Sant Michel to the hotel.
We enjoyed the tower almost without lines, as it is relatively early, suddenly,a young couple starts to run chasing one of the million of immigrants selling little Eiffel Towers; they have been so naïve as to give him a camera and asked him to take a picture!!!!; of course, no picture, no camera, no police(gerdarmerie is present, but they do nothing, as, I suppose,they are here only to prevent terrorism).Poor young couple, a bad and expensive moment!!!).
At the Trocadero DW took a funny picture of me hugging one of those giant Michelin inflatables on show.
Looking for a place to lunch(we finally have lunch at Quick Burger, good hamburgers with crispy onions); we find a Starbucks, where there used to be a beautiful Café, where ,in the past, we had pastries we will never forget.
We like Starbucks, but we regret we cannot have those tarts aux poires that were really sublime!!!
We really have very good moments resting at the chairs at Tuilleries, people watching and inspecting some sculptures, very funny that were on show on the gardens.
When we reach the Saint Michel area, we are really tired and we look for a table outdoors, overlooking the Seine and Saint Michel, ask for two cappuccinos(11 euros), and have a great moment, people watching, resting and talking about our preferred city .
Its incredible how much we love this city, and how much we love to remember what we did in very previous visit.

We happened to be in Paris around the same time you were and I have to agree---it is incredible how much we also love Paris and how we like to remember our previous visits.

Good report. Looking forward to the Italy part.

Too bad about the camera scam. You guys have been doing some serious walking!

After 14 years, quite a few things must have changed, yet the overall look of the city remains admirably stable.